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Ask the Bridge
I love to garden, but often experience a great deal of knee and back pain. Are there things I can do to make this outdoor activity less painful?
“Many people believe they can’t perform their favorite activities in the spring, such as gardening, because of pain and fatigue,” says Karen Jacobs, a clinical professor of occupational therapy at Sargent College and past president and vice president of the American Occupational Therapy Association. “This doesn’t have to be the case if you limit your gardening time to an hour, use tools that enable you to weed while standing, and work with a partner.” Jacobs also recommends taking short breaks every hour, using planter boxes to minimize bending, planting more perennials, and keeping hydrated by drinking plenty of water. She suggests that avid vegetable gardeners plant more beans and potatoes — beans are climbers and therefore can be harvested while standing, and potatoes need less weeding than other vegetables.
“Ask the Bridge” welcomes readers' questions. E-mail bridge@bu.edu or write to “Ask the Bridge,” 10 Lenox St., Brookline, MA 02446.
9
March 2004
Boston University
Office of University Relations